How to Keep Kids in Sport and Other Foster the Future Highlights

More than 130 coaches and club officials from triathlon, swimming, cycling (and a few other sports) came along to our Fostering the Future conference in UCD. The event, which was brilliantly MC'd by Coaching Ireland's Liam Moggin, explored some of the latest and best research in how to coach underage sports.

Dr Kevin Till from Leeds Becket University opened the conference and explained some of the reasons why children drop out of sport. He also told us how putting a greater emphasis on fun and less on competition can result in more better long term participation rates, as well as more young people going on to achieve at a high level.

Feargal O’Callaghan, a champion rower, triathlete and ultra marathon runner explained on the importance of introducing strength and conditioning at an early age how to incorporate fun in to a training programme. He also exploded some myths about the dangers of weight training in young people.

Later in the afternoon, Richard Cheetham from the University of Winchester gave a witty and highly entertaining lecture on how thinking differently about coaching can bring out the best in underage competitors.

There were also six breakout sessions thought the day covering a wide range of topics from adolescent mental health to how to improve freestyle swim stroke.